Gawker: Art Cooper

Dining Out: Dave Zinczenko's Water-Colored Memories

abalk2 — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 09:04:16 EDT

We were trawling through the Times's Sunday Vixen-quality blowjob of Dave Zinczenko - a blowjob which makes July's Forbes profile of the Men's Health editor look like a cursory handjob from a scabby-fisted crackwhore by comparison - when we started to wonder: When was it coming? Sure, we saw the bit about the Pussy Palace in the Hamptons that he shares with Dan Abrams, but when would we get the anecdote about the death of GQ icon Art Cooper? Well, it was down near the bottom, but the article did comply with the law that any profile of Zinczenko must, at some point, recycle this story. How has the legend of Cooper's tragic demise evolved over the years? After the jump, a quick look down the ages.

Family and friends of Art Cooper, the former GQ editor who fell tragically ill at the Four Seasons on Thursday, say they'll be forever indebted to Dave Zinczenko. Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health magazine, was having lunch with Cooper when the 65-year-old suffered a stroke. "They'd never met before," a close friend of Cooper tells us. "Dave helped Art out and then went with him in the ambulance. He stayed by his side all day and was there when [Cooper's] wife arrived. But he still stayed, long into the night." Despite his lunch companion's best efforts, Cooper was reported to be gravely ill.

Rush & Molloy, June 7, 2003

Cooper loved eating and drinking as much as he loved great magazine writing, and his favorite place to enjoy the former while talking about the latter was at Manhattan's Four Seasons restaurant. It was there that he suffered the stroke while lunching with David Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health.

Media Life Magazine, June 10, 2003

"I cannot go to a gym without cringing, watching the idiotic, ineffective and downright dangerous exercise routines personal trainers put their clients through," Men's Health editor in chief David Zinczenko writes in his September issue. Zinczenko goes on to describe a friend, "65 years old and about that many pounds overweight," who showed up to lunch complaining that a workout had left him with a sore neck, and left in an ambulance, "felled by a massive stroke. Did the workout kill him? It's possible."

WWD, August 18, 2005

On the day several years back when Art Cooper died, he and Dave lunched at the Four Seasons. "I was telling him about Best Life, and I said, 'Is there anything you could do to help us?' There was no non-compete clause with Conde Nast, and Art said we ought to talk more. But he felt ill and went to the bar to lie down. Next thing, Julian (the co-owner) was calling an ambulance. It was a massive stroke."

Forbes, August 20, 2006

(Mr. Zinczenko was having lunch with Art Cooper, the former GQ editor, at the Four Seasons in 2003 when Mr. Cooper suffered a stroke and died. It is a memory that Mr. Zinczenko recalls with tears in his eyes, explaining that it conjured memories of his father's death.)

New York Times, September 3, 2006

Who's The Man? Dave [NYT]

Earlier: Gawker's coverage of Dave Zinczenko

Zinczenko: Bad Exercise Killed Art Cooper!

Jesse — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 11:12:02 EDT

Legendary GQ editor Art Cooper died two years ago, after suffering a stroke while lunching at the Four Seasons with Men's Health editor Dave Zinczenko. Today's WWD notes a curious anecdote Zinczenko relays in the new issue of his magazine:

"I cannot go to a gym without cringing, watching the idiotic, ineffective and downright dangerous exercise routines personal trainers put their clients through," Men's Health editor in chief David Zinczenko writes in his September issue. Zinczenko goes on to describe a friend, "65 years old and about that many pounds overweight," who showed up to lunch complaining that a workout had left him with a sore neck, and left in an ambulance, "felled by a massive stroke. Did the workout kill him? It's possible."

So, to recap: Exercise tips from a trained professional are likely to kill you. Exercise tips from people who've never met you published in a glossy magazine with a buff guy on the cover? Safe as can be.

Memo Pad [WWD]

Gutfeld "promoted" at Stuff

Gawker — Fri, 02 May 2003 11:50:54 EDT

Greg Gutfeld has been "promoted" at Stuff to the newly created role of Creative Director, Brand Development. (Greg Gutfeld, if you remember, is the guy who hired midgets to disrupt a media panel a while back and had then-GQ editor Art Cooper's handwriting analyzed. He also made fun of other Dennis Publishing publications—Maxim in particular—which probably didn't go over too well with the boss.) From the pre-emptive press release that I can't find online: "[Gutfield will] be spending a great deal of time lounging in executive suites, swanky bars, swimming pools and yachts, fiddling with scripts and consulting his 'little black book.'" Promoted, fired—same thing.
Stuff and Maxim get new editors [Ad Age]

Art Cooper and Anna Wintour

Gawker — Thu, 01 May 2003 15:17:18 EDT

Scene from departing GQ editor Art Cooper's farewell last night: Vogue editor Anna Wintour arrives with Ralph Lauren. A spy writes, "Cooper made a big point to thank his secretary. He said he hopes her upcoming bio—'The Devil Wears Blue Label'—is a big success. Everyone turned around to watch Anna's reaction...there was none." An unrelated Anna moment, from another reader: "Discussing unrealistic images in women's magazines with Janeane Garofalo on 'the View' this morning, Joy Behar called Anna Wintour a 'war
criminal.'"

Gossip column band names

Gawker — Wed, 23 Apr 2003 11:10:20 EDT

Someone mentioned a couple of months ago that "Art Cooper and the Hilton Sisters" sounded like a nightclub act. On that note, from "10 New Indie-Rock Band Names Found in Cindy Adams' April 18 New York Post Column, 'Little-Known Facts, Well-Known Celebs'": Claire Danes' 3 A.M. Panic, Jennifer Aniston's Diet Sacrifice, Patricia Arquette's Slightly Buck Teeth. See also "10 New Hard-Core Band Names Found in Thomas Friedman's April 20 New York Times Column, 'The Third Bubble,'" (i.e., Will to Fight, Come to Threaten.)
Band names [Observer]

Gossip roundup

Gawker — Thu, 17 Apr 2003 17:52:26 EDT

· GQ Editor Art Cooper, saying goodbye via email: "The great virtue about e-mails is they don't show tear stains." [Page Six]
· CNN's response to the question of whether they turned up the booing on Michael Moore's Oscar speech: "It's ridiculous. That's our response." [Page Six]
· Donald Trump's girlfriend, Melania Knauss, has dozens of seemingly identical black coats. Her explanation: the paparazzi photograph her everywhere she goes and, "if you wear something twice, even a coat, you're a target." [Page Six]
· Hillary Clinton's memoir isn't going to be a juicy tell-all. [Cindy Adams]
· Cindy Crawford: "Arugula is how I define cities. I go to a grocery store and either you can get arugula or you can't." [Cindy Adams]
· First Brother Neil Bush's estranged wife, Sharon, is considering writing what will definitely be a juicy tell-all. [NY Daily News]

Heads rolling at GQ?

Gawker — Fri, 04 Apr 2003 09:52:52 EST

GQ Managing Editor Marty Beiser is the first casualty of the post-Art Cooper regime change. Insiders suspect that Conde Nast Editorial Director James Truman is behind the firing. I'd pretend to care, but I'm too busy reading Maxim and Stuff.
Beiser banished from GQ [Keith Kelly - Post]

Picked up by the gossip columns

Gawker — Fri, 07 Mar 2003 15:52:00 EST

"Gawker is getting noticed. Page Six quotes it today regarding GQman Art Cooper and Rush & Malloy quote a Gawker item on Daniel Libeskind.
This is important: big media paying attention to nanomedia. (It's also to Gawker's credit — Elizabeth Spiers' and Nick Denton's — that they're breaking stories.)" [Jeff Jarvis]

Art Cooper's response

Gawker — Fri, 07 Mar 2003 05:32:42 EST

to our item about Razor Publisher Richard Botto's letter: "I am very flattered. I can easily handle lounge chairs and St. Barts I am there tomorrow if they can provide the pi a coladas"
Tropical editor [Page Six]

Art Cooper's next move

Gawker — Tue, 04 Mar 2003 15:34:33 EST

Our sources tell us that recently "resigned" GQ Editor Art Cooper has a fan at Razor. A letter dated the 27th from Razor publisher Richard Botto included the following choice flatteries:
· "If Conde Nast thinks your time has past, we're ready to give you a forum to prove they're wrong."
· "You have proven that you know more about men than any of the 'boy' editors out there."
· "I don't care if you consult from a lounge chair in St Bart's."
· "You can be a hero once more."

Art Cooper's next job

Gawker — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 10:38:11 EST

Newly retired GQ Editor Art Cooper says he'd like to do a talk show and his first guest would be Conde Nast chief Si Newhouse. "...I've been thinking about it and you have to admit, I am much cuter than Tina Brown and I have a better voice. Aren't I made for TV?"
A gentleman editor bows out of a Maxim world [Ad Age]

The GQ succession race

Gawker — Wed, 26 Feb 2003 11:05:02 EST

Have they no decency? Quicker than Art Cooper's tears can dry, the media commentators are handicapping the race to succeed him as editor of GQ. Keith Kelly is offering odds.
· Dylan Jones, editor-in-chief of British GQ: 2-to-1 favorite
· David Zinczenko of Men's Health, although he's taken himself out of the running: 5-to-1
· Michael Hirschorn, past editor of Spin: 10-to-1
· Kurt Andersen, resting at public radio: 35-to-1
· David Kamp, a VF editor: 35-to-1
· Maer Roshan, if Radar doesn't fix: 50-to-1
· Glenda Bailey of Harpers, because SALTYT thinks it's time a lad's mag had a woman editor.

Art Cooper retired

Gawker — Wed, 26 Feb 2003 10:07:41 EST

Now that Art Cooper is leaving GQ, everybody knew it all along. Sridhar Pappu does the post-mortem. The pullquote, a bitter remark by the GQ editor overheard at the magazine's Christmas party: "I m 65 years old: I just want five more years. Five fucking years. And they re not going to give it to me."
Bad Day at Pink Rock: Si Tells GQ Editor It's Time to Go [New York Observer]

Art Cooper steps down

Gawker — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 07:44:09 EST

GQ Editor Art Cooper has resigned (despite last week's denials that he had no plans to leave.) [Ed. note—was Art not being told he was loved enough?] Cooper says he raised he issue last June and Conde Nast chief Si Newhouse "didn't want to discuss it." This year, Newhouse agreed that it was time for a change.
GQ Editor to step down [NYT]

Art Cooper and career longevity

Gawker — Wed, 19 Feb 2003 10:02:50 EST

Ah, so maybe there is a retirement policy at Condé Nast after all. Word inside, officially denied, is that Art Cooper, 65, isn't long for GQ. Of course, Graydon Carter didn't get the memo: he plans to stay on till he's 75, relying on his kids and, presumably, by then, his grandkids, to keep him fresh.
· Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair since 1992
· Art Cooper, editor of GQ since 1982
· Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue since 1988
Cooper: I'm staying [Keith Kelly]

Greg Gutfeld on Art Cooper

Gawker — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 09:42:09 EST

Stuff Editor Greg Gutfeld: "That thing about [GQ Editor] Art Cooper coming out against Iraq and people calling him daring, that s just bullshit...That s just an example of how idiotic journalists can be. I was going to buy him a ticket to Baghdad, but I m too cheap...If he were to come out in favor of war in front all those left-wing editors, that would have shown real balls." Cooper responds: "I just think this guy shouldn t criticize real magazines when he edits—however you want to define whatever junky little thing he does."
At the Journal, identity crisis on page one [Observer]